Broncos 2023 Head Coach Interview Tracker

Here's your one-stop-shop for following the Denver Broncos' head-coaching rumor mill.

After a shocking season wherein the Denver Broncos failed to come even close to meeting their Mile High expectations, the campaign came to a merciful end on Sunday. But at least the Jerry Rosburg-led Broncos punctuated the failed 2022 season on a positive note with a nice win over a division rival. 

Russell Wilson turned in a vintage performance vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, one week removed from a valiant effort at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos have a head coach to hire, and that next guy will undoubtedly take encouragement from Wilson's 2022-23 swan song. 

The Broncos' new brain trust — helmed by the Walton/Penner ownership group — got an early start on the head-coach hiring evaluation by firing Nathaniel Hackett two weeks before the season concluded. This allowed the Broncos to get a jumpstart on talking with and scheduling interviews with several top candidates in the 2023 head-coach hiring cycle. 

Which coaches have the Broncos reached out to? How many have scheduled interviews?

This article will serve as our Broncos head coach hiring tracker, so bookmark it and check back daily for updates. Let's dive into the coaches we know the Broncos have made overtures to speak with about their glaring head-coaching vacancy.

Jim Harbaugh | Michigan Wolverines HC

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Harbaugh has multiple links to the Broncos' current ownership group, including CEO and part-owner Greg Penner, thanks to their common Stanford association. Harbaugh served as San Francisco's head coach from 2011-14 and led the Niners to three NFC Championship game appearances and a Super Bowl berth. 

The Broncos held a two-hour-plus virtual interview with Harbaugh Monday evening. Afterward, buzz emerged that Harbaugh is now the frontrunner for the Broncos' job. 

On Wednesday, 9NEWS' Mike Klis reported that the Broncos have interviewed former David Shaw, a former Harbaugh assistant who succeeded him as Stanford's head coach. Although details are limited, it's believed that Shaw was interviewed as an offensive coordinator option under Harbaugh. 

Source confirms Broncos interviewed former Stanford HC David Shaw. Interview was in-person. Broncos HC search group - CEO Greg Penner and fellow owners Carrie Penner, Condoleezza Rice - have strong Stanford ties. Rice currently director at Stanford's Hoover Institute. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) January 12, 2023

Sean Payton | Ex-New Orleans Saints HC

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The Broncos have already spoken with Payton but can't interview him in-person until January 17, per NFL rules. Payton spoke about the Denver vacancy over the weekend, and confirmed that he's been in contact with the Broncos. 

"No, there's absolutely not a team I'm leaning towards. And Denver's been the only team," Payton said on FOX Sports. "I'm kind of picky... The protocol is just permission right now. This has happened before. It's happened maybe a half-dozen times. And then the interview process can start on the 17th, so we'll see what happens."

If the Broncos were to pursue Payton seriously, they'd have to acquire his rights from New Orleans in a trade. Word on the street? The Saints are looking for a first-round pick to even start the conversation. 

Dan Quinn | Dallas Cowboys DC

© Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Quinn was a finalist for the Broncos' head-coaching job a year ago, coming up short to a victorious Hackett. Quinn kept his head down and went back to work coordinating the Cowboys' defense and helping to lead the team to a 12-5 season and a playoff berth. 

Quinn served as Atlanta's head coach from 2015-20 and led the Falcons to a Super Bowl berth in his second year. Alas, in that game, he presided over the biggest Super Bowl collapse in NFL history, and the Falcons steadily regressed in the ensuing years after OC Kyle Shanahan left to take the head-coaching position in San Francisco. 

According to Ian Rapoport, the Broncos have requested permission from the Cowboys to interview Quinn once again. 

DeMeco Ryans | San Francisco 49ers DC

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The former Pro Bowl linebacker took over as San Francisco's defensive coordinator in 2021 and has done an amazing job to ensure the Niners didn't skip a beat after Robert Salah took the head coach job with the New York Jets. Ryans is a leader of men and a former stalwart middle linebacker that players love to follow. 

The Broncos have requested an interview with Ryans, according to 9NEWS' Mike Klis. 

Keep an eye on Ryans as the 38-year-old is expected to be a hot commodity in the 2023 head-coach hiring cycle. 

Raheem Morris | Los Angeles Rams DC

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Broncos' ownership group reportedly prefers to hire a head coach with "experience" — I.E. a retread. In that respect, Morris fits the bill. 

He served as Tampa Bay's head coach as an early-'30s young man from 2009-11. As the Rams' defensive coordinator, Morris has had his ups and downs but similarly to former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, he's a younger guy that players like to follow with an expertise on the defensive side. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos have requested permission to interview Morris. 

Ejiro Evero | Denver Broncos DC

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Although it might currently be considered a formality, GM George Paton revealed recently that the Broncos would like to interview Evero for head coach. The Houston Texans reportedly requested permission to interview Evero for their head-coaching vacancy, which means he could be in demand in this cycle.

More likely, Evero needs one more year on the vine to fully ripen into a bonafide head-coaching candidate, but keep an eye on him because he did a great job in Year 1 in Denver, his first ever as a defensive coordinator, and in a perfect world, the Broncos would like to keep him around.

Even if it's in his current DC role. 

Update: Houston and Indianapolis have requested a head-coaching interview with Evero, while Atlanta wanted to talk to him about their defensive coordinator job. The Broncos blocked Atlanta's request, as it's a lateral move. 

The Broncos retain Evero's rights and, by NFL rule, could block him from leaving even for a head-coaching job. However, it would be a major faux pas that could risk ruining the team's coaching reputation and make future assistants reluctant to take coordinator jobs in Denver. 

Jim Caldwell | Former Colts & Lions HC

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that the Broncos plan to interview the 67-year-old Caldwell on Wednesday. As the former head coach in Indy, Caldwell led the Colts to a Super Bowl berth in the 2009 season, falling short to New Orleans in the big game. 

Caldwell's head-coaching record is a robust 62–50 (.554), but keep in mind, he had a healthy Peyton Manning for two of his three years in Indy. After 2011, the year Manning sat out due to his neck surgeries, the Colts fired Caldwell. 

Caldwell would go on to garner another head-coaching gig from the Detroit Lions from 2014-17. He's an offensive-minded coach but he's a bit older — Vic Fangio-type older. 

ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that the Broncos plan to interview the 67-year-old Caldwell on Wednesday. As the former head coach in Indy, Caldwell led the Colts to a Super Bowl berth in the 2009 season, falling short to New Orleans in the big game.

Caldwell's head-coaching record is a robust 62–50 (.554), but keep in mind, he had a healthy Peyton Manning for two of his three years in Indy. After 2011, the year Manning sat out due to his neck surgeries, the Colts fired Caldwell.

Caldwell would go on to garner another head-coaching gig from the Detroit Lions from 2014-17. He's an offensive-minded coach but he's a bit older — Vic Fangio-type older. 

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